The King of Clay’s retirement will depend on Spain’s eventual upset of the Netherlands at this stage of the tournament, later this Tuesday
In the first of the three clashes between the Spanish and the Dutch in the quarter-finals of , the Netherlands came out on top. In the game that may have marked his last appearance on the courts, Botic Van de Zandschulp prevailed and won this Tuesday’s clash (19), in Malaga, by 2 sets to 0, partial scores of 6/4 and 6/4 , at the Martin Carpena Arena. His retirement will depend on Spain’s eventual upset of the Netherlands at this stage of the tournament, later this Tuesday. Davis Cup duels are played in the best of three matches, with the first two matches being singles. If necessary, the tiebreaker is done in a doubles game. Owner of 22 Grand Slam titles and two Olympic golds, the Spanish tennis player took to the court to compete in his last tournament with a lot of focus.
Before the match, upon hearing the national anthem, he became emotional and teary-eyed as he approached such a defining moment in his career. The game started evenly with both tennis players confirming their services. With a 62% success rate on his serve, Nadal tried to impose his rhythm by betting on the exchange of balls and the efficiency of his strokes. Despite feeling the pressure and importance of the match due to having one of the greatest tennis players of all time on the other side of the court, Botic Van de Zandschulp managed to control his nervousness. He bet on regularity to score points and did not give any kind of advantage to his Spanish rival. The first break only happened in the ninth game and was in favor of the Netherlands. To define the dispute, the Dutchman took advantage of the gap left by Nadal, opening a 5-4 lead and putting pressure on his experienced competitor.
With the serve in hand and the chance to define the first set, Van de Zandschulp was surgical in his strokes. Without giving his opponent a chance to recover, he managed 40 to 15 without difficulty and closed the initial half with a 6/4 against his strong rival. The 1-0 deficit affected Nadal’s spirits and the second set started in the worst way. In search of an immediate reaction, the Spaniard failed to adjust his game. Focused on not making mistakes, the Dutchman took advantage of the opportunity to break in the first game, converted his serve in the sequence and opened up an important 2-0 lead. If the previous part was marked by balance, the second set showed Nadal well below expected.
He even confirmed his serve, but saw his rival do his part and impose a new break in the fifth game, guaranteeing a 4-1 advantage, paving the way for a somewhat peaceful victory. Rocked by the crowd, however, Nadal was reborn by returning the break. Faced with a 4-2 deficit, but with the serve in hand, the Spaniard left the hope of a reaction in the air and touched the Dutchman, making it 4-3 and taking his opponent out of his comfort zone. The Dutchman, however, was able to withstand the pressure from the crowd, managed the advantage again and cooled Nadal’s momentum. By confirming his two serves, he settled the second set at 6/4 and secured a remarkable victory over one of the greatest tennis players of all time in Malaga.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
Published by Matheus Lopes
